(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tape-like electronic component package comprising a plurality of electronic components accommodated in a tape.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
A tape-like electronic component package is generally used in a tape carrier system, which is a method of supplying components to an automatic assembly machine. The tape-like electronic component package is usually rolled around a reel. While it is taken out by the automatic assembly machine, electronic components accommodated therein are taken out one by one and mounted on a printed circuit board.
The electronic components are accommodated in a carrier tape, a conventional construction of which is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
The carrier tape comprises a main body 21 and a cover tape 23 covering the main body 21. The main body 21 has a plurality of cavities 22, each of which accommodates a chip component 20 such as a capacitor equipped with electrodes 20a and 20b at both ends thereof. The cavities 22, which are usually rectangular, are arranged with longer sides thereof being perpendicular to a longer side of the main body 21. 24 refers to feeding perforations.
In such a conventional tape-like electronic component package, carrier tapes of a single width are not always appropriate for electronic components of different lengths. For example, a 12 mm-wide carrier tape has 7.3 mm-long cavities 22 at the maximum since an area for the feeding perforations 24 and adhering areas for the cover tape 23 are required. For a bigger component, a 16 mm-wide carrier tape is necessary.
This results in that carrier tapes should be replaced frequently from one width to another in accordance with the length of the electronic components. This lowers operating efficiency in accommodating the electronic components in the cavities and in taking them out from the cavities for mounting.